


Our Scars

by ASingingPenguin



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24513526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASingingPenguin/pseuds/ASingingPenguin
Summary: Day two for Bumbleby week. Two different looks at different scars and where the bees are now and how they can move forward.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 1
Kudos: 48





	Our Scars

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to have this be longer and done different, but life is crazy and it's good enough for now. I hope to come back and fix stuff up when I'm in a better headspace but I wanted to do SOMETHING.

Yang had noticed it when Blake was packing up to leave for Argus. A scar from that night; the whole scene burned into her memory.

She might not have seen Adam stab her but she heard it and saw him withdraw his sword from her. _Get away from her!_ Such an ugly reminder that Yang was too late to protect Blake. Not only was Yang scarred for her failure, Blake was too. Yang couldn’t help but wonder if that was the reason Blake ran. Part of her couldn’t blame her if it was.

Blake’s jacket did a lot for hiding it most of the time, but once she noticed it she could almost always see the edge of it.

Part of Yang was happy they were still tiptoeing around one another. She wanted so badly to talk to Blake about that night. She knew Weiss was right when they had their conversation, and that Blake had ever fear in her life confirmed. All of her anger was just sadness she didn’t want to feel. She never blamed Blake but she was just so scared to let her back in. So scared to have that talk and what it would mean for them. After Haven her experience in asking people why they left sure hasn’t gone well.

_“Hey, I’m not leaving. And if we ever see him again I promise I’ll be there. I’ll protect you.”_

It was like a slap in the face. Yang had always been the protector, always been the one to take the hits for so others don’t have to. To think that Blake saw her as someone who needed to be protected? It hurt.

There was a shift after their encounter with the Apathy. Seeing Blake just give up and Yang not only unable to do anything about it but having the feelings numbed? She had already lost Blake once and she wasn’t going to let her fears and own insecurities risk her lose her again. But still, she could see that scar when they were staying in the Terracotta-Arc house and in the back of her mind she didn’t feel she was even worth it.

Her own family never stays, why would this be different?

_Go._

It was a leap of faith she had to take. Blake was there now. She couldn’t let her fears control her if she really wanted to move on. Blake would come back. She said she wasn’t going anywhere and even in the back of her mind she could believe it totally she had to try. Blake would hack the tower, come back and things could keep going back to normal.

But Adam made sure that normal would never happen. And for better and worse he was dead by their hands...

It took the sound of Gambol Shroud hitting the ground to snap her back to reality after it happened to see Blake on her knees sobbing. Yang dropped her piece of Gambol and rushed over to wrap her arms around the other woman, and Blake clinging to her like her life depended on it sobbing into her shoulder.

“I-I’m not gonna break my promise. I swear.”

Yang pulled back enough to look Blake in the eyes, something she remembered from her time at Beacon. Blake would believe her if she looked her in her eyes and told her the truth. After meeting Adam Yang really understood how much it meant to her. She hoped Blake could always find comfort in her hand on her cheek, even if it was her prosthetic.

“I know you won’t.”

And it was the truth. They both carried scars from that night and from him. But together they were going to move forward. They were safe and going to protect each other from now on and that’s all that mattered for now.

-

“Yo, Weiss and I are going to check on Nora and the boys you two going to be okay if we leave you?” Ruby asked even though she knew the answer.

“Yup! I’m working on my arm and Blake’s lost in a book. I’d say we’re good for a few hours at least.” Yang responded easily from the desk where she was disassembling sections of her prosthetic to clean.

“I can still hear you, you know.” Blake deadpanned from her bunk. “Really, though, enjoy your time with them. I can’t remember the last time I had a long moment to read.”

Ruby smiled. “Alright, have fun!”

As they left a comfortable silence fell over the pair. Things were some comfortable now. Not “normal” like back at Beacon. It was different, almost better. They weren’t the same people from back then, and while they didn’t have that same almost innocence as before both were now free. Free to really exist.

Blake had made it to the end of the chapter before she found herself distracted by her partner. Yang wasn’t doing anything she didn’t do before, but she wouldn’t lie and say she didn’t like to watch Yang work. It amazed her to no end what she was able to do with her own customizations and even just working with what was once her non-dominate hand. Yang amazed her.

However, it was also a reminder of what Yang lost for her. Blake had always imagined it as such an ugly mark scarring what was once Yang’s prefect body. She even felt guilty at being relived it was a clean scar now… not that Blake could ever view Yang as less than perfect arm or not. But it wasn’t just the scar. Blake wasn’t unaware of the pain Yang would have from time to time even though the limb was no longer there even if Yang tried to always push through it. And still, though not as common now, Yang’s hand would still shake like a reminder things are still healing.

Yang had told her she had nothing to be sorry for and that she was never angry. And all Blake could do was try her best to work though her guilt if only for Yang. Part of her still wishing everyone would have been angry with her, not really believing she deserved all of the love and support she found with her team.

“Hey,” Yang’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “I can feel you staring. What’s on your mind?”

Having been caught Blake didn’t know what she should say, so she deflected. “I guess I’ve just never seen you work with your other arm so intently and was curious what you’re up to.”

Yang gave her a small chuckle leaving her arm and the desk to join Blake on her bunk next to her. “I had Pietro send me over the schematics so I can properly disassemble and clean it.” She handed over her scroll not that Blake could really understand what all of the diagrams meant. “Though he begged me not to make any more modifications, and I told him I couldn’t promise that.” She added with a wink.

“You know, sometimes I think I forgot how damn smart you are.” She said in awe not even trying to hide how much she admired her partner.

The awkward blush the came to Yang’s face was one of the best things Blake had even seen. “I- thanks.” Yang took a moment to regain any composure she could possibly get now. “But, I have a feeling it was something than my mechanical skills.”

Blake’s ears flatten to her head before she answered. “I just… I still hate you have to do all of that. It’s amazing and I know you don’t blame me, but I still hate you have to. Arm or not you’re still so strong and wonderful… and I guess I still don’t believe I deserve your kindness.”

Noticing Yang was going to say something Blake stopped her. “I don’t say that for you to comfort me. You do that enough, but there is something you could do to make it better?” Yang nodded at her to continue and seemed to light up at the idea something could help.

“Tell me when you’re hurting. I know it still does and you’re not as stoic as you think you are. Let me be there for you and take care of you at least for that. We’re supposed to protect each other, remember?”

Yang looked down before meeting Blake’s gaze again with a small smile. “I think I can do that, for you at least.”

Blake took Yang’s hand in her own, their fingers easily intertwining. “I’m here for you Yang. For as long as you want me.” Forever is what she wanted to say. Maybe even the three words she felt like she was dancing around. But it was too soon still and feelings still too fresh. But maybe someday soon.

_I love you, Yang._


End file.
